


Love, Me

by toxic_virgo08



Category: Gintama
Genre: F/M, Gekijouban Gintama Kanketsu-hen: Yorozuya yo Eien Nare | Be Forever Yorozuya, Yorozuya Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxic_virgo08/pseuds/toxic_virgo08
Summary: Out of all his and the Yorozuya's (mis)adventures, there's a particular story that Gintoki is fond of retelling to Shinpachi's son.GinTae (as an old couple) in the eyes of a child.
Relationships: Sakata Gintoki/Shimura Tae
Kudos: 22





	Love, Me

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a song of the same title by Collin Raye. The content of the letter was also from the lyrics of the song. (Yes, I love the song.)
> 
> Expect some OOC-ness, and I'm sorry for bringing sadness in the story.

I was rummaging through Yorozuya Gin-chan’s old office, half of which was converted as storage for products at the snack bar one floor below. Otou-san asked me to look for a framed photograph of their giant dog Sadaharu so he can display it at the shop. The old woman Otose-san who used to run the place bequeathed the property to Jii-chan who later passed it on to Kagura-nee-san and Otou-san. I really liked hanging out at the old office with Jii-chan. When lunchtime comes, Baa-chan always brought home-cooked meals for us. Jii-chan entertained me with the stories of his exploits. There was a particular story that seemed to be Jii-chan’s favourite.

  
“A long time ago, I was quite the ladies’ man. Wherever I go, somehow I always find myself involved with some woman. That was the reason why your father did not want me to be anywhere near his sister. Actually, it’s not just me. It’s the male population in general.” The last part, he half-whispered, “I truly think he is a siscon.” He told me with a straight face and nodded after to make it more convincing.

  
“The hell are you talking about Gin-chan?! I didn’t approve of you because you are lazy, happy-go-lucky, broke permhead who always spends his time at pachinko parlors with your Madao friend!” Otou-san who was conveniently getting supplies from the other room swung the door open and screeched as usual. I can see his tonsils from where I was sitting by Jii-chan’s feet. I always admired Jii-chan’s boots, he looked so strong with them. He still has his old wooden Lake Touya sword with him even though there was an ordinance prohibiting carrying swords in public places. I really think he just wanted to mess with the Shinsengumi.

  
My attention reverted to the two old men. “What is a siscon?”

  
“Gin-chan, What are you teaching my son?! AAAAHHH!!!” Otou-san seemed like he was about to lose it, he was gripping his hair tightly, his glasses at the tip of his nose about to fall off any minute.

  
“Ara, ara! What is the loud racket about?” A pretty old lady came up carrying bento boxes. She was Sakata Tae, my grandmother. Jii-chan stood up and got the package from her hands.

  
At the sight of the boxes, the two men visibly paled. I did too, except that I don’t get to eat her specialty because my absentee mother Pandemonium-san cautioned me not to eat Baa-chan’s cooking. Legend has it that whenever her dark matter appears, a trip to the hospital for food poisoning is bound to happen.

  
“Enough with that, Shin-chan, you should call Kagura-chan and tell her we’re eating lunch," Baa-chan instructed Otou-san.

  
Otou-san fished his cellphone from his pocket and called her. After a few moments, he informed everyone that Kagura-nee-san and Sadist-ojisan were on their way to the former Yorozuya office.

  
When everyone was settled, I sat beside Jii-chan. I like it when everybody gathered like this. Most of the time, everybody was busy with their own lives that left me under the care of my Jii-chan and Baa-chan when they come over. Most of the time, I spend my days with Tama-san going over her data about everything before I was born.

  
“You know, you should try eating this dark matter made by Otae. It builds your resistance and tests your determination,” Jii-chan addressed me the moment everyone started digging in the food.

  
I turned to see Baa-chan winked at him.

  
“Imagine me having those on a regular basis for 50 years. If I could live through this, I can do anything.” Then he laughed. I think he said what she wanted to hear based on the expressions of thinly veiled disgust on everybody’s faces at the table.

  
When lunch was over and everyone went back to their jobs, while Baa-chan cleaned the dishes Jii-chan continued his favourite story.

  
“I’ve been running the Yorozuya with your father and Kagura-chan. We did odd jobs together, went on adventures together. Your father’s sister, Otae, was there every step of the way to support us even if she did not have to. It had been such a routine that we did not notice we were already a family – me, her, Shinpachi-kun and Kagura-chan.

  
When Otae and I deciced to make it official, your father was against it. He was against me marrying her because he thought her sister deserved someone better than me for reasons he just shrieked a while back. She was far too good for me, I know. But you know, when your resolve is solid, no matter who will try to break it, you just do it. I married her anyway, but not without pains either. We both had stalkers who were conniving with Shinpachi.

  
We successfully planned to meet in secret and run away together. We will leave Kabuki-cho and get married in the first town we come to. But at that large tree where we were supposed to meet at the park where your Kagura-nee-san always bashed your Sadist-ojisan’s head back in the day, I found this letter.”

  
He produced a worn-out letter from his yukata and showed it to me. I gingerly opened the letter. The edges were worn out from being inside his pocket for too long. Tears started forming along the lines of the folds on the paper. The ink was fading but I can still read the contents of Baa-chan’s neat handwriting.

  
It read:

>   
>  _If you get there before I do_  
>  _Don’t give up on me_  
>  _I’ll meet you when my chores are through_  
>  _I don’t know how long I’ll be_  
>  _But I’m not gonna let you down_  
>  _Just wait and see_  
>  _And between now and then till I see you again_  
>  _I’ll be loving you_  
>  _Love,_  
>  _Me_

“Baa-chan is so amazing. You are so lucky Jii-chan!” I told him.

  
He placed his feet on the table while picking his nose, a faraway look on his dead fish eyes. Old habits die hard, they said. He actually looked youthful with his relaxed demeanor, however, the wrinkles apparent on his face and on his hands betrayed his real age. He hummed his agreement.

  
“We settled at a nearby town Zura recommended. It was totally out of character but Otae and I eloped. The suddenness of our marriage threw our stalkers off guard. They could not do anything to stop us from marrying each other. We went off the grid for about six months before coming back when Kagura and the others made Shinpachi realize that he needs to accept our relationship.”

  
I had heard this story before – more than once.

  
Just then, Baa-chan emerged from the kitchen. She placed her hand on Jii-chan’s shoulder and gently nudged him off his feet.

  
“Be a good boy to your father okay?” she said as she handed me a carton of strawberry milk. She ruffled my hair before linking her arm with Jii-chan’s and headed to their home at the Kodokan Dojo. Jii-chan gave me a salute before exiting. I heard some more shrieking from my Otou-san and Jii-chan from downstairs that I could not quite make out before solitude set in after one giant thud, which suspiciously sounded like bodies falling. Baa-chan probably took care of them.

  
Several weeks later, Otou-san was worried about his sister’s failing health. It seemed that Baa-chan took a turn for the worse. She was afflicted with an illness that was unknown to the doctors. With her age, she easily succumbed to the disease. She was confined at the hospital where her friends from Snack Smile where she used to work, and from the Diamond Perfume her girl group all visited her.

  
“Get up there, Otae! How dare you make Gin-san cry? Are you okay with me marrying him after you’re gone? Come at me like you always do, you wench!” An old lady with a purple hair shook Baa-chan while hysterically crying.

  
A beautiful lady with a scar running the left side of her face stopped her. “That’s enough Sarutobi.”

  
“Tae-chan…” Kyubei-san shed tears as well, the ladies called Tsukky and Sacchan joined Kyube-san outside Baa-chan’s room. They were comforting each other.

  
The former officers of the Shinsengumi were there too. Her former stalker Kondo Isao bawled his eyes out. With him were Hijikata-san and Sadist-ojisan. Seeing them gather in one place once again made me realize the good life Baa-chan led. Many people loved her. One by one, each of them bid their farewells. Otou-san had been at the corner, crying non-stop. Even Tama-san who did not rust one bit for the previous years shed oily tears.

  
The family members were the last to go in her room. Kagura-nee-san had been crying rivers of tears while sobbing out _‘Anego, please don’t leave’._ So did my father. He could not even let out another word other than ‘ _Aneue_.’ Baa-chan was too weak to even speak.

  
The last time I saw her was when she brought us snacks, her smile brighter than the sun, her brown hair gathered in a ponytail had been streaked with some whites then. Her hair had gone totally white in color now. She had pallid complexion. Jii-chan, Kagura-nee-san and Otou-san all held her hand the way they used to. Without a word passing between them, the two gave Jii-chan some privacy with his wife.

  
I know I was intruding on such an intimate moment and that I should turn away. But I’d never seen him, _the_ Shiroyasha, cry in all my eleven years. And as he repeated these words to her, his eyes were filled with tears.

>   
>  _If you get there before I do_  
>  _Don’t give up on me_  
>  _I’ll meet you when my chores are through_  
>  _I don’t know how long I’ll be_  
>  _But I’m not gonna let you down_  
>  _Just wait and see_  
>  _And between now and then till I see you again_  
>  _I’ll be loving you_
> 
> _Love,_  
>  _Me_

It was truly a sad affair, but I also saw how love looked like.

**Author's Note:**

> 📌 The child/ narrator preferred to call MomTae and Dadtoki as Baa-chan and Jii-chan, respectively because they were the parent figures of Shinpachi and Kagura. Kagura prefer to be called an older sister nee-san instead of aunt. In this fic, GinTae is an old couple (they’ve been married for 50 years, wow! They don’t have their own children tho.)
> 
> 📌 I purposely did not name the child because I can’t think of any names.
> 
> 📌 Otae’s death scene was heavily inspired by the movie Be Forever Yorozuya.


End file.
